DON'T buy LIFX smart lights for your smart home (Here's why)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.พ. 2023
- when I last reviewed the company’s bulbs, they were a welcome novelty, but finicky to run. I recently decided to give LIFX bulbs another look so in this review I’ll talk about my experience with them today, how the set up process is, if any improvements have been made, and how these bulbs integrate into my smart home.
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I recently ordered LIFX 1100 lumen larger format bulb and the LIFX 800 lumen colour bulbs which are the size of a traditional bulb, and both have the standard E26 screw base), so those are the bulbs I’m focusing on today.
In my initial review of LIFX bulbs, they were difficult to set up, they often took several attempts at connection, and over weeks and months would often randomly disconnect or become unreachable for no reason, requiring a complicated reset process. Also, over the six or so years I had LIFX bulbs, several of them simply ceased to function altogether meaning I had to toss them away; an expensive prospect at their price point of about $40-60CAD each. I’d say of the 8 LIFX bulbs I’ve owned, four have already reached end of life. And while in this short review period I won’t be able to judge longevity, I will be watching to see how the newer generation of bulbs hold up.
I’m disappointed to find LIFX bulbs are no easier to set up than when I previously reviewed them. They continue to be buggy, difficult or just plain broken.
Enter the set up code or use the camera to scan the QR code on the back of the paper. The LIFX app will then get you connected.
If you don't have that HomeKit code, it is possible to get that code off the serial number that is on the light bulb, but it's a bit hard to read. I waited several minutes for the HOmeKit set up to complete, but all I got was a spinning wheel.
All of a sudden the bulb went out and I couldnt get it to turn back on again. So that was a complete dud.
I pulled another light from its box and tried again.
This time it seemed to connect correctly, even with HomeKit, but during the set up it not only forced me to add it to a room, but also to create a group within it. Despite the fact I didn't want it to be grouped.
This brings me to the LIFX app. While it is nicely designed and laid out, it's not very intuitive or easy to navigate in my opinion, and I’m saying this as someone who’s used hundreds of smart home apps. The way the app tends to want to group your lights and devices doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And it's extremely difficult to figure out how to redo the groupings or to re-organize your home.
The lights do have a wide array of colors and brightnesses. For the basic 'white' light most of us use every day, there's a host of variations; on your smart phone there's a dial which allows you to control whether you want a cool bluish light, or a warmer pinkish yellow light. You also have the ability to brighten or dim the bulb from your smart phone. It's very easy to control, and the color wheel setup in the app makes it easy to see what you're getting or what else is available to change it to.
You can also set schedules for your lights to behave a certain way each day ad I can say that this actually worked well in my testing.
One last little twist of the knife.. as I was wotrkig on this video, anothert of my LIFX lights died; I’ve had to factory reset this light strip multiple times when it stops working in the two years I’ve had it. . Today, it just quit completely and woldn’t turn back on, so into the garbage it went.. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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I disagree with the negative review. I’ve been using LIFX bulbs for at least 4 years with no problem. They are easy to set up and even retain the WiFi settings when reconnected after being unplugged or an outage. I will continue to expand my collection and recommend them to anyone looking for smart lighting.
I'm glad to hear, thanks for sharing your experience too!
Same here! My LIFX collection is constantly getting bigger.
The only downside is that they are not as bright as non smart lights, but still the brightest smart light bulb you can buy!
People who have issues must have sucky WIFI or don't have a full understanding of basic technology. 🙄
I, too agree easiest smart bulb to set up and the lifx app is fantastic 👏. I have 20 different routines. If smoke is detected by my nest detector the lights start flashing red, blue for carbon monoxide. I have 7 bulbs all past 6 years old and working perfectly.
I'm happy to hear that it is working for you. I have the same sad experience as Erin: the ledstrips are very unreliable (disconnecting), the candle lights simply refuse to be connected to wifi, the big E27 light bulb disconnects very often. The only lights that are stable and reliable, are the E27 mini's. Such a shame. The maximum brightness and color satuation at maximum brightness is the best in the smart home marktet (although minimum brightness levels are too high). The conenction reliablity makes me to avoid these lights. Reading online, these are not isolated incidents. I've done a lot to mitigate the issue, i've even replaced my whole wifi setup and followed all the tips & tricks from Lifx support for better reliability. But at the end of the road, it is just not working in my situation. Buying Lifx simply means gambling with your money: for some they work, for some the don't, and for some they stop working after a longer period without a clear root cause.
I've been using lifx for four years too and all the light bulbs has been very stable.
The only problem was when I was flatting where the router was an isp one.
After I bought two Asus mesh routers I never had further problems.
Erin, I think it's a harsh review. I found the "no hub" setup a big feature! I think the "not found" is an issue with your wifi network. I have over 15 operating lights in 3 countries for over 3 years and all controlled within the one app. The setup has been simple and reliable and have had zero failures across ceiling downlights, strips lights, UV and 2 variations of the standard bulb. The guest feature is also a fun plus.
I love my Lifx smart lights. My entire home has them everywhere. I love the schedule feature, my lights turn on and off throughout the day without me lifting a finger. I also love that some of my lamps I can turn off manually and none of the settings get lost.
The only issue I ever had was I was trying to set up a globe/lamp that was too far away from my wifi source, but I should of just had more common sense. Also with the app being great I have never seen the need to set up Google home or home kit.
Had my lifx for over a year and I love them. For me it was easy to set up with no issues
I got the original Lifx bulbs in 2012. Never had any major issues. I love them.
Same, also have the original and it has stayed on all night every night for the kids for the last 6 years.
The only issue I’ve ever had with LIFX bulbs is the relatively tedious setup if I don’t want to use HomeKit. Once setup however, they stay rock-solid.
Exactly, i like them now but back when i was trying to link light strips i was pulling my hair out
That’s an Apple issue. Instructions on how to disable Home Kit are on the app
I have had a completely different experience than this review. I’ve literally been using LIFX bulbs for nine years. They have a lifetime warranty on it. Mine never disconnect. Easy to integrate with Alexa. Great colors.
I'm so glad you've had a good experience. Hard to believe there is such a difference of experiences just in the comments here alone.
I’ve had LIFX light all around my home with zero issues.
Just got the path lights. They are amazing and work perfectly.
I have Lifx bulbs since 2015 all over my apartment and only one have died recently but this was stay on 24/7. I can say that sometimes they disconnect but not a big issue for me. I have tried different brands but I prefer Lifx quality in brightness and colors.
Not sure why you had issues - I’ve been using a variety of LIFX bulbs/strips for years and never had setup issues, not once. I find the app intuitive and easy to use too. Hopefully people watch other reviews before writing these bulbs off, they’re great!
I've had LIFX Bulbs and strips set up in my home for years and I really like them. I do agree that the setup process can be frustrating and if you lose power/internet it can be a pain to get your lights back up and running on the app. For me, those issues aren't overly common, but that is something that should be worked out with the company.
The app (for me) is fairly easy to use and I love the light and colors that these bulbs put out. The strips look great behind a TV. I love how you can customize the colors and "paint" with the light strip to get multiple colors at once. I can't really compare to other smart bulbs because these are the only ones I've used, but I really like them.
Thank you, I appreciate you sharing your perspective!
Hi Guys, just wondering if you tried connecting your bulbs with a standard 5htz wifi or the 2.4htz cause apparently they do bug out on the 5 which we all use straight up. You apparently disable the 5 and work with 2.4 to get them linked and then go back to using your 5 network. Hope this helps!
Yeah, 8 years strong with lifx, over 27 lights in and outside my home, never had a problem other than the first one I bought 8 years ago randomly stopped working 2 months ago Other than that it’s been smooth sailing!
This is very interesting because I’ve had LIFX bulbs for years but have never had a bulb die.
The original set of LIFX bulbs I got for my bedroom and bathrooms about 5-6 years ago, came in a cylindrical box, were very tedious and complicated to setup. The still work as regular lightbulbs, but have long lost connection with the LIFX app. I bought a second round of LIFX bulbs which I installed in my basement a few months ago, and these seems to be holding up well. They all came with a code you can scan with your phone during the connection process, and were a bit easier to set up. It's very important to save the codes, in case you need to reinstall them. So far, so good.
I remember those sets too!
@@ErinLawrenceTV the "so far, so good" ended today. My lights have gone dark. Not sure why. I'm very unhappy about this.
Have been running 20 Lifx 1100 lumen color for years now. best colors and have no issues and two are in coach lights outside in Chicago winters.
I’m currently using 14 LIFX bulbs in my home; have been for over 4 years. Originally I had frequent issues with disconnects, and sometimes even had to uninstall and reinstall bulbs to resolve those issues. But in the past couple years I have not had any problems except for an occasional need to simply reset a bulb by disconnecting its power for a few seconds (happened maybe 4 or 5 times in the past 12 months). I have multiple schedules and scenes configured, and for the most part everything works beautifully. Integration with SmartThings and Amazon Alexa is also top notch. I am quite pleased with my LIFX bulbs.
I’m very glad they are working for you Richard.
4 or 5 occurences per year in which a light bulb needs to be resetted, would not meet my standards. Imho, a light bulb should never need a reset. There are better smart brands out there when looking at reliability.
@@pimw9805 Which? I've looked into other WiFi bulbs and every single one seems to have the same complaints and none are as bright as LIFX.
@@ErinLawrenceTV I have not had any issues either. I have original and new never had a single issue. I had more issues with Phillip hues and even that was once or twice. I really like them and they work well for me. I am sorry you had so many issues. I am hoping this isn't a thing for many if so they need to fix it.
I've owned my lifx since 2015. I have it set to 1 color (5600k)for 90% of the day. I only use the other colors for my Home assistant notifications. I'd say maybe this is the reason why they don't last long(having it set to specific colors, or frequently changing them), given that I run my light for around 8hrs a day
Interesting point!
I've been using LIFX bulbs for six years and had very few issues.
Yeah i havent had any big issues with lifx. I bought a couple of their bulbs in 2014 and they still work!
Thank you good to know all the issues, I need easy smart home devices
Yes for sure!
Thank you for the review!
My pleasure!
I've never had an issue with setting up LIFX bulbs. All the ones I bought 3 years ago are still working great. Relative to Philips Hue the price point is better. It is nice to use the bulbs without a hub.
You should refresh your review. My LIFX bulbs work almost flawlessly and they are super easy to set up now.
I've had my LIFX bulb for a couple years now and it's worked great for my bedroom. My biggest issue has been with the app, rather than the bulb itself. The "Visualizer" doesn't work at all really. There's not really a ton of great options for "animations", especially considering there's a lot of nice colours. I will say it sounds like a less tedious process on Andriod.
Agreed!
I have had LIFX for over 5 years now, I love them, and the best colors, Phillips Hue does not come close to as accuracy of the colors, I have never had any issues or serious troubles, the best on the market, the setup of the bulbs was easy as well
I've had most of these problems with Hue and Kasa bulbs which is why I went to Lifx years ago. I have never had an issue with setup or dicsonnection with Lifx and all my bulbs continue to shine three years after purchase. Unlike Hue, I have never had to call Lifx for support, they just work. The only difference in my setup is I refuse to buy a single Apple product.
Sometimes compatability issues cause all kinds of problems, and sometimes experiences differ wildly even when everything else is equal. My advice would be to try a few bulbs from a brand in one room for a while and only commit when you're satisfied. One thing I will say about Lifx that is indesputable is that their color saturation is far and away better than any other brand currently on the market.
That's great, thanks for sharing your experience!
I watched this awhile back and I didn't want to believe it so I ordered a few and had nothing but problems with trying to get them to work with any type of automations, they really sucked and I returned them.
I should have listened.
This is a fair and accurate review. I've owned at least a dozen LIFX products over the past 5 years and constantly have bulbs and strips disconnect from my WIFI. I have also had several products die or malfunction after relatively short use. I agree with the author that pairing to the WIFI is extremely buggy and slow and can sometimes take days to properly reconnect after multiple failed attempts (for the record, my WIFI is generally stable and does not cause issues with any of my other gadgets.) Customer service is also terrible and requires dozens of emails to secure a replacement malfunctioning bulb, but I usually give up because the process is so protractive. The only reason I stay with LIFX is because I've already invested so much into my initial setup that I don't want to start over from scratch. However, this has been my personal experience, so perhaps others have been luckier with the brand than I have.
Thanks so much for posting your experience. I hope others find it helpful.
Okay, I feel like I can offer an honest experience and hopefully help others. I’m a pretty young techy guy who’s pretty involved. But anyway The first time I watched this video I thought it was so negative. And I did not experience any of the problems mentioned. But I’ve been using LIFX bulbs for years now. And recently have updated all of them. Some of them even have the matter support. And I LOVE my LIFX lights. I really do. I don’t want to go to Philips hue because I don’t think they are as good. And they are deffo overpriced. But now that I have over 30 LIFX products inside and outside. I’ve been having more problems than ever. And the customer service is terrible. Just because they don’t have much help they can offer. And it takes forever to come to any kind of “resolution” and let me tell you, having a bridge to free up my WiFi would be so meaningful. And more stable/Fast connection would help with the friction of daily use a ton! Like I said, I love their products and they are incredible. But they’re definitely not stable without a bridge. And once you really start switching out all your regular bulbs.
Great post. Too bad about the experience.
Have had 3 bulbs for 3 years and the strip for a year and bit - all still working. I have had issues with the software not responding and occasionally the lights disconnecting, however over the past 6 months or so no issues there. Also the options on the app have increased. Yes set up can be a bit fiddly but not the end of the world. Compared to Philips Hue the colours are far brighter, more saturated, look better and more options. Would be nice to sync to TV colour output or computer colour output though which you can with Philips. Also more options on grouping them would be great.
Overall though, I like them and hope there will continue to be improvements!
LIFX is one of not the only manufacturer to integrate an IR emitting function into their floodlight to illuminate a space even when the visible light is turned off. Perfect for any outdoor space where you might have a security camera watching or for an infant’s room so your video baby monitor can see in the dark. I must admit I use Apple’s HomeKit, but have several bulbs in use for 3 or more years. Setup is subject to WiFi signal in the area of the fixture. You can always setup the bulb in a different location and then move it back to the original spot after setup and registration.
Similar experience here. I have 20-some-odd bulbs and strips (mostly the 1100 lumen colour bulbs) and they drive me absolutely nuts. Pairing them was a huge hassle and I discovered that one factor was that I was using a VPN on my phone. Even though it was configured to communicate with devices on my LAN, the bulbs just did not want to play nice and I had to turn off the VPN to even have a CHANCE at successfully pairing them. That whole lesson was a traumatic experience. I've used them with multiple different routers / APs and it made no difference. I think I may have to bite the bullet and splurge on a bunch of Hue bulbs at some point. I do like some of the LIFX effects and from what I understand, Hue bulbs do not have that feature.
Phillips hue requires a hub which I don't have but works with Alexa. With Alexa you get quiet a few colors but not as many as you do with the hub. I have the Phillips Hues in my Living Room and Ceiling Lights.
My LIFX bulbs were problematic in the past and had the issues described in this video. This was around 3 years ago. Nowadays I have no issued. I imagine it's the latest updates. And so long as you don't buy a LIFX bulb with old firnware, it should pair easily
Agreed! Not much has changed!
Would love a review of the CLEAN model. Thanks
Noted, thanks!
Lifx bulbs have the best color. Rarely had a problem
I had a lot of LIFX bulbs in my apartment. I had 18 in total setup and got two years of good use from them. Over the last year they all started to randomly drop out from WIFI. I contacted the company and they said it was my wifi router and the bulbs were too far out of range... I though that was a funny answer because the bulb was in the same room as the router. I eventually gave up on them and just used the bulbs as standard flip the switch bulbs. I just moved into a house and I am beginning to replace all the standard led bulbs with with hue.
I will miss the app as I really liked it compared to the hue and the android widget. Loved the android widget!
Thanks for sharing!
I agree the 1100lm series are buggy and disconnect, bloody annoying!, but the later (1200lm) versions which you are not reviewing here have been pretty damn good so far, they don't cut out on me, they just stay connected all the time. The setup was easy once I decided to skip the firmware update and do it later. If there is one thing I can say about lifx bulbs, there is nothing that can beat it at brightness and the only bulbs on par with regards colour reproduction are phillips hue, but there not as bright. Also the royal blue they produce, is incredible. If your like me and run custom software on pc to do loads of cool stuff with them, you can get them to do some really cool stuff, like using the average colour on my screen as a the lights base colour for gaming ambience or movie ambience etc. In the future I will be using Phillips Hue though as unfortunately LIFX has been bought out and the direction of the brand is uncertain, maybe if were lucky the buyer will do something cool with the company and use these final version 1200lm bulbs that seem to just work, little too late unfortunately for lifx of course.
Good to know, thanks!
I've had LIFX early on and bought LIFX later down the track. They are pretty solid now. A little finicky early on as they would often disconnect from the internet. Local use while connected to the wifi at home, using the app was always 100% solid, even if it disconnected from the cloud. A feature that no other wifi bulb has. I've got a few original bulbs still going strong and none of my bulbs have any issues today.
I've had them stuck in their scheduled timed mode Day dusk, despite clearing all schedules. even doing the timed operation on days they were not even scheduled for. constantly buggy not responding. I bought because they advertised had a windows app, thats now discontinued. recently contacted support all they want to do is argue and not help ignoring questions you ask.
😕😕😕😕
LIXF Bulbs are beautiful, but they are a source of pain. I found it helps to have a REALLY strong WiFi connection, but even that doesn't always keep them connected. They are really flaky. Especially the strip lights. I, too, have had to throw them away when they suddenly stopped working. The company has been bought and sold a couple of times and is now owned by Feit Electric (purchased in August 2022). Hopefully, they can get their act together and improve LIFX soon.
I bought 3 LIFX bulbs at least three years ago, two of them get around 6 hours of use a day, or more. They're still going strong. The other is used less but has never given me any trouble. The biggest problem I had was after a thunderstorm, a nearby lightning strike may have sent out enough of an EMP (they really do that) to cause one of my bulbs to glitch out and end up in an unworking state. I had to reset it, and it's running fine again.
I have run into some problems with the setup process, the app seems to glitch out sometimes. That's the only part of this review that run true to me.
Just bought the neon flex today and have had nothing but connectivity problems
This is good to know. I have mostly Philips Hue in my home.
Hue Is outstanding. A personal favorite.
I've had these for 10 years now they're great
Wow, that's great!
I got my 1st lifx bulb in 2019 and it just blew last week. While i agree with the negative points in the video, setup is extremely finicky and they do randomly disconnect every now snd then. Im still gonna replace it with the same bulb because i really like them lol. Once theyre setup they're pretty easy to use
That's great to hear, thanks for sharing!
Strange...never had an issue with my original LIFX 800 bulbs over 6 years used daily. I agree the app is tricky to get right. I like the old version better.
Glad to hear, thanks for sharing!
You don’t need to save the paper each lightbulb has the code on the lightbulb it’s self it’s on there under HK: (home kit) and it has the code on the side .
I have been using LIFX light bulb for almost 5 years. It is great quality and working like new.
That's great!
Your problem is a buggy network interface and/or a lack of understanding about HomeKit. Further, the next time you’re going to toss them away, simply mail them to me. I can read instructions and reset them. To do so, put them in a lamp and switch them on and off 5 times. The next time turn it on and it will cycle colors to tell you it’s ready to set up again. I like these in multiples. When you have an earthquake each bulb has a hub and many will still work when the power comes back on. Not true with Hue. Also, if you use the hub or home kit, you lose a lot of the robustness of the design. You don’t need to use HomeKit, although recently the software takes 10min to bypass it. The software works well, but it’s definitely not the same as other software. On the plus side, you can really, really customize them. They work great with Alexa, another plus if you’re under the bed in an earthquake, as long as your router is still up. I have every LifX bulb I’ve ever bought, so they will last, although a crappy connection makes you set them up again occasionally.
Mine are good, but the app doesnt work right on my wifes Samsung S9, which is a problem
I’ve had absolutely no issues and will continue to use.
I’ve had my Lifx lightbulb for 3 years now no problem
I have used LIFX bulbs and they worked awesome for me for past 3 years.
Don't want to be rude, but did you ever consider that maybe you are the problem (not the lights) ?
Correction:
You actually don’t need to keep the paper slip included in the box, all relevant info/codes are located on the base of each bulb in fine print.
The reason I picked LIFX over other brands a couple of years ago is that I needed only 1 smart light. I didn't want to buy additional hardware (e.g. bridge) and most smart light comparisons showed that LIFX has the most vibrant colors. But if I end up furnishing my entire home with smart lights in the future then I'd choose Philips Hue because they seem to be much more stable.
Sometimes the LIFX app doesn't see an already set up, turned on light. And the setup process is unclear. For example, the setup requires my Wi-Fi to be channel 1 (2412MHz) and it requires my phone to be connected to both the light bulb and the internet at the same time. Unfortunately, the light bulb doesn't offer internet so I had to plug my ethernet cable into my phone to complete the setup. Troubleshooting these issues took quite some time. I used the LIFX forum and customer service.
Good to know Erin. Thanks for sharing your experience with these bulbs.
My pleasure Ron!
Pro tip, use ifttt integration with lifx it gets better 😊
This is a great review if you literally don’t know that technology isn’t perfect and basic troubleshooting techniques in order to have them operate as for the LIFX app yeah could use some improvements
Hi Erin, thanks for the honest review. We (LIFX) clearly have some work to-do to get your endorsement. The good news is we will soon be launching new products and have been talking to our customers with a focus on improving the setup and app experience. It has been a busy year under new ownership at Feit Electric, and we are excited to be putting new products on shelves soon. I'll reach out again when we launch and see if we can get you back on team LIFX.
Thank you for the note, and good to hear. I will be willing to give things a try once you’ve made some improvements.
I cannot even update my lifx app and trying to update firmware is fruitless
I have 4 LIFX bulbs in my smart home and I love them, they are super bright and the colors are very saturated, some of the best I’ve seen , the only issue I have with them is when there’s a power outage they automatically come on, is there anything that I can do to resolve this rather annoying issue?
@@challis2009 - That would be a difficult problem to solve unless you want them to NOT come on when using the light switch with them. You'd have to find a way to get the bulbs to tell the difference between the the power going out in the house as opposed to the user simply turning the light switch off.
Otherwise? To the light bulb, those two events look EXACTLY the same. The only real way to mitigate the 'issue' you've described is to create the option to disable the lights coming on when they detect AC power returning to them.
i've had a handful of LIFX bulbs since 2016 & i havent had any issues with them. whatever "finicky" issues you've been having, i thankfully have not. might be an issue with your wifi.
Using these light was a breeze at first. Since moving I can no longer connect the lights to the app.
That's frustrating!
completely disagree with this review, my home is full of LIFX products, didn't find the set up hard at all and in the 7 or so years I've had their products never had an issue with any of them. About to buy their new string lights for the garden.
I disagree with this negative review. I have been using them for 6 years going strong. They are super solid. The set up a bit problematic. But once up, they last forever. The app is great. Better than Tuya or Aquara. The strips also last more than 6 years. Never fail me once. The strip won't light up if you never activate them when connecting multiple strip together.
Either you're very unlucky or I'm very lucky because my Lifx lights have worked perfectly since I bought them and I have a couple gen 1 lights, some later gen lights and 2 new Z strips. Also if I were you I'd talk to customer service before throwing your bulbs away.
I agree that the app can be a little difficult unfortunately and I'd be happy if they made an overhaul.
I’ve talked to their customer service more times than I can count.
I hope I am not the only one who who have this issue and looking for resolution then come to watching this video. Lolz….. I feel relief after watching this, and I must find something different. LIFX gave me stress about connection, I thought it was my WiFi but now I know why.
Sorry to hear you were also having problems. Such a funny product. Works amazingly well for some, horrifically poorly for others.
@@ErinLawrenceTV I just switch to Nanoleaf and ordered directly from Apple Store. It’s now working fine. And all devices are stored to iOS setting Matter.
Good to see a review that agrees with my experience. My first set of Lifx bulbs lasted exactly 17 days but it took months for Lifx to replace them, which they claimed was due to Covid. Move on four years and I have moved house and unboxed Lifx bulbs but am sad to see that the offer of themes is even worse now than it was then and frankly is poor and boring. I will stick to Hue bulbs.
Thanks for sharing your experience and sorry it wasn’t a better one…
Thank you Erin for your review I have looked at those bulbs in the past and glad I avoided them
You’re welcome 😊
@@ErinLawrenceTV Meross ones are awesome and affordable work with Apple HomeKit, Google and Alexa with no hub!
I have had my LIFX lightbulbs for nearly 5 years and none of them have blown out or stopped functioning all together. Yes, the setup on these bulbs can be frustrating to allow Apples Homekit app acknowledge these lights exist but it is NOT necessary at all to tie these lights to the Homekit app due to the fact that an Alexa or Google device can act as a mediator hub to communicate efficiently by using the proprietary hub device to control these lights. It is EASIER to let Alexa search for the device to connect to your WiFi network.
The reviewer did not point out her bandwidth on her home network which can impact how many devices can be connected to the network. In my years of experience dealing with network connectivity, paying for an appropriate network bandwidth can make a huge difference in the ability of a device to communicate effectively.
I also have had similar experiences especially with the disappearing bulbs. After using them for many years I have decided they have become too frustrating.
Had mine for going on 10 years. Nothing wrong with mine
The one thing that bothers me about this review is not being specific about their life span. Yes, they don't last anything close to 20 years but then neither does any other LED bulb I've ever used. My own personal experience is that they do last proportionately longer to the cost difference, so while shorter than I'd like its not like they are worse value.
As for connection issues, I'm yet to find a single review of a WiFi bulb that doesn't have them. It seems the WiFi chips used in all smart devices are bad.
What I really want to find personally is a nice large bathroom light that is WiFi and dimmable, as due to them having their LEDs spread out and physically so large they seem to last much longer than anything else due to not running as hot and pot having their PSUs sealed into the unit so can often even be repaired as its not the LEDs that break.
After about 10 years of using them, I am still finding that Philips. Hue is the best lighting system. That consistently remains easy to use, long-lasting, and operates entirely problem free.
Disagree with this video, i have friends down here in miami and myself using since 2016, they work flawlessly. The ones i bought in 2016 still works at my house. I am a software engineer so naturally it was no problem for me to set up. Turning on/off switch 5 times is complicated? How do you find youtube as a platform to navigate? 😂
They are the brightest smart light bulb you can buy. They really aren't that hard to use if you figure it out. Why so much hate. It amazes me as to how slow people are with this app. I live LIFX Bulbs! I have 15 of them in my house! Can't imagine life without them.
Wow, that's great. Thank you for sharing your experience!
LIFX bulbs are an exercise in patience. 3 of mine died after a firmware update which LIFX refused to replace. The remaining bulbs that I do still have do not integrate well with cloud services. WIFI connectivity and range is awful, with my bulbs going through long periods of being unreachable, making them useless. I've since replaced them with TP-Link KASA bulbs for a fraction of the cost, which take 2 minutes to set up, and the WIFI works beautifully. It's a shame because I spent a lot on my LIFX bulbs, and they are very bright with a good range of color, but the frustration, poor support, terrible app/ecosystem, and longevity makes them a terrible value proposition.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Frustrating, right?
Was beating my head against the wall for like an hour trying to set up 2 bulbs and 2 stips. I've done this before but didnt have the issue. Anyway found this on reddit. Got them all installed in like 10 minutes
Reset bulbs
Turn off 5ghz wifi
Phone on airplane mode
Activate phone wifi (still in airplane mode)
Connect to bulb wifi using phone settings and ignore warnings about no internet
Open Lifx app and add new bulb
The bulb flashing off is a sign that it has worked. On my phone I then had to wait 3-4 mins before the app finally announces a successful connection.
It’s frustrating when a consumer has to work this hard to get a gadget set up, right?
@@ErinLawrenceTV Definitely
You don’t by chance have them hooked up to a dimming light switch do you. Dimming switches make them go bad
Not in this case. Have tried both. Doesn’t seem to be much different… But I take your point.
Couldn’t disagree more. While I have had a few issues in the past, generally speaking, my experience has been great. These are the main bulbs I use throughout my house and I’m even using their smart switches not just to control my LIFX bulbs but other devices as well.
I do use HomeKit and the onboarding experience is fine and onboard with other HomeKit devices as well. I’ve only had one bulb die on me but I’d had it since my son was born and it was on almost 24-7. He’ll be 12 soon.
LIFX provided guidance on setup and the bulbs, like many, only work on 2.4 GHz networks so depending on your network setup, you may need or want to turn off your 5GHz antennas for setup.
Every word of this review is true and accurate. This company’s products are rubbish. I can tell they are trying hard over their to fix their issues with the ever more complex app. But their core issues undo these efforts each time. There is a reason why other products use a hub system. I’ve thrown out 2 bulbs and 4 light strips and their controller, their customer support is well spoken but useless. In the past 3 years. Waste of money and planet resources.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sorry you also had a poor experience.
The dud bulb is just in a weird state. If you leave it on it will time out and revert. Or, can reset it with 5 on/off quick cycles.
I have 2 and they suck… always unresponsive
So frustrating, right?
not me with an original kickstarter LIFX from 2013 (second KS batch) and two newer lifx's that still work. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That said, setup is a pain and sometimes they seem to have a stint of forgetting the network. I'm fairly certain at least one of those was related to an app update bug because it worked from an older phone while the up-to-date app could not find the bulb, and it seems to be fixed after another update. The lifx mini in the hallway is also permanently out of range it seems, which is fine cos I use it via the switch, but is crap in terms of wifi reach, this is a tiny place the wifi signal should be good enough everywhere.
That sucks, but as someone who did not want any other hubs or smart home devices, LIFX is still a great choice.
Great feedback. Thanks for posting it.
I used to have this light now. I use Philips hue more reliable
Hi Erin, thank you for an informative review; I am sure you saved some people $.
I hope so! 😁
I purchased 4 of these bulbs and have had a constant frustration with them not connecting to my wifi and then randomly turning on and off after setting up a schedule. They have been extremely unreliable and when I contact customer service and spent hours typing with people on chat or email with them as they don't offer phone support- they tend to blame my wifi connection or my router as to why the bulbs won't connect. I live in a city where my wifi service is excellent! I have nothing good to say about these and have requested a refund from the company. I will see if they will acquiesce. They refused to provide a refund. I have four bulbs for sale - if you are interested! They are cheap!
I have a life x bulb on my porch that has gone dark. Not only can I not turn it on on the app but I can't turn it on by manuelly turning on the light switch. Also Life X don't have a true orange color. It looks red. I had to use a spiral orange bulb for Halloween. Next time I'm going with another brand. What's the best brand of color smart bulbs to go for?
I've been using Lifx bulbs for two years now and I don't know how I got along without them.
I don't agree with this review except that the setup can be a little finicky. The connection issues are in your router. Do these two things and your connection will be solid as a rock. 1. Make sure the bulbs are on your 2.4Ghz wifi. They don't get along with 5Ghz. 2. Set your router's channel to 1. There you go.
Either this review is unfairly biased, or she just doesn't know how to handle smart bulbs. The app is NOT hard to use!
I have 20 LIFX bulbs and a light strip in my home. All different models, and some of them I’ve had for 4-5 years. I use them everyday, sometimes for most of the day in the winter. These are WAY better than Phillips as they are so much brighter and more like a real incandescent in their strength.
1.) Setup - Great? No…but literally far from difficult. Just takes a while. I have no idea what you’re talking about with forced Home app integration. You can easily skip this so that’s not accurate at all.
2.) Disconnects? I’ve had 2 disconnect in 6 years. Of which I reset in about 2 minutes and they were back. That’s pretty good IMO.
3.) Life? You must have bought a bad batch because my lights have never stopped working. Ever. Like I said, 4-5 years I bought 2 of them. They’re running perfect like the day I bought them.
4.) I think this is a WiFi problem for you. I’ve lived in 2 places and my parents have a few as well at their house. Our internet is more than efficient and we’ve never had issues with disconnects randomly.
Overall, I’m not sure how you’re gauging these as far as quality as I feel you’re giving an extremely skewed review. I had Philips Hue when they first came out, and honestly I would have stuck with them because yes, they are super easy to setup and always work, but when a company can’t make a bright enough bulb, I’m sorry but that’s 90% of why I couldn’t stick with them. 800 lumens max? Seriously?
It’s your opinion and I respect it, I just am shocked that your experience is so 180° from mine, and others seem to be happy with their bulbs too, based on the comments. 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for your feedback. Yes it seems some folks have a great experience while others are also suffering (also seen in the comments). Perhaps LIFX hasn't done a good job of making the bulbs compatible with a wide range of wifi systems. All I can do is report my firsthand experience. Cheers.
I hated Hue lights. I was so happy to get rid of them. The blue, green, and purple colors sucked and they use that annoying hub. Switched to LIFX 5-6 years ago and I find them significantly superior to Hue. LIFX for life!
Never had a problem, I don’t thing she knows what she’s doing.
I find Yi lite (xiaomi) is more stable than lifx.
WRONG...a simple restart of your router usually corrects any connectivity issues...
You don’t need the paper … the code is on the bulb
Your the only one who seems to have a issue with them I wonder why🧐
Agree with you! One of mine died randomly months ago and setting them up is the absolute worst. I’d go with Hue if I could sell the rest I have.
Erin I agree the average person shouldn't own LIFx smartlights. For those of us who regularly use LED colored lights in my home. There is no competitor when it comes to vivid color playoff. I don't have an iPhone, which is the pain for most people with the app and setup. To your point specifically, LifX bulbs are entirely too pricey. I get my single color bulbs from Amazon. The LifX strips stand alone on the market for color saturation and color blend. Good review
Thanks for weighing in!
It sounds like Lifx bulbs are about as painful to setup as my Phillips Hue bulbs and migrating the two together it's a bigger nightmare. There are a few apps out there that say they work together, but I have yet to find one that works. I've also not been able to get my hues and lifx z strip to work in a fully functional state with home kit. I can get them to turn on, turn off, change colors, but I have yet to find a way to get them to do any animations like the Aurora, Bella colors fading in and out to different colors. I haven't found any home type of automation such as Google home, Apple or Alexa to be able to run the cool animations with a voice command, it seems Lifx Z Strip has the best app to make fast light animations (boxed style not customizable like Govee or Type S), while hue is a nightmare. It would be cool if someone made an app (there was one many years ago) to be able to layout your lights in an actual floor map and then be able to set all the lights to white and pass a red light around a room and going across the light strip returning to a bulb and continuing around. If anybody knows of one, please let me know. I'd love to do an evaluation of it. Great job on your video and I look forward to seeing the others.
Yes, and all in one solution would be nice. I have found a Google Home and Amazon Alexa worked incredibly well at overall smart home control. The new Homey device is supposed to be very promising, but it doesn’t work with most North American brands just yet.
You don't buy them for your smartphone, you buy them for your house...
Nothing has changed with them so that's bad. Very bad given the time frame.
Agreed!
@@ErinLawrenceTV you'd think a company would listen but no it's a familiar scene which I'm sure you would know about certain companies yourself that never did and ever tried to come back... Love your work BTW been a fan for some time all the way from Ireland.